Thoughts for the Day

Here are a few aphorisms I like:

Annie Dillard said, “You can’t test courage cautiously.”

Roald Dahl said, “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.”

Anxiety

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Boy, has it been a long time since I thought of that whole verse—its directives and worthwhile reward. Lately, I’ve just told God about anxieties. “Oh God, I’m so anxious about …” Waking up in time to catch an early train downtown for the Chicago Marathon. Worrying and straining eyeballs for four hours that we’d miss seeing the marathoners we went to cheer. What will happen when my mother goes in for knee replacement? Did the surgeon’s office change the mistaken order from left knee to right knee? What questions should we ask of the internist pre-surgery? What will my role be post-surgery? How do I block out time for this? When will I have time to amend the soil in the vegetable garden and plant garlic and shallots before they rot in their box in the garage? Will we even be able to buy compost this time of year? Oh, and time to celebrate family birthdays this month and next? When to get together with friends? Should we challenge our real estate assessment? Oh, and our trees are dying; what can we do to save them? I could go on, but I won’t.

No wonder my heart basket has no room for luscious fruits, veggies, and other nourishment. I have overflowed it with worry weeds, which taste terrible. No wonder I faint with hunger for God and find no relief from anxieties. Time to confess disobedience and start obeying God’s command in Philippians 4:6-7, which offers the only peace possible on this earth.